Arrowhead Christian

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — Just a season removed from a trip to the CIF Southern Section Division V semifinals and with a talented squad returning this year, the Flintridge Prep boys’ volleyball team entered Wednesday’s season opener feeling on top of the world. But after Arrowhead Christian handed Prep a wake-up call in the form of a 25-19, 25-17, 25-13 sweep, the Rebels fell back to earth just a bit. Senior Dylan Walker pounded home 10 kills and senior setter Reed Bradley dished out 15 assists for Prep, but poor passing and some costly errors doomed the Rebels in the end. “We knew they were a good team, but I don’t think we played up to our potential, which makes you a little mad,” said Flintridge Prep Coach Sean Beattie, in his 11th season coaching the Rebels.

BURBANK — Apparently a majority of people believed that Arrowhead Christian was a shoo-in for victory. The Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy girls' basketball team, however, was in the minority. The Tologs persevered against the Eagles, 66-43, in the quarterfinals of the 10th annual Providence Pioneer Shootout, in a game in which most people gave them little chance. "Everyone knows that [Arrowhead Christian] is the team to beat," said Tologs Coach Richard Caballero, of his opponent which won this tournament last year.

GLENDALE — The following are CIF playoff previews pertaining to area high school teams. San Gorgonio at Crescenta Valley, 7 p.m.: After finishing tied for second in the Pacific League, 12th-seeded Crescenta Valley (19-7) will look to take advantage of having home-court advantage against San Gorgonio (9-17) in a Division I-A first-round contest. The Falcons won their final two league games of the season to finish tied with Burbank. Unseeded San Gorgonio placed third in the San Andreas League after winning three of its last five league contests.

Hamlet Nalbandyan Call it deja vu or the way things are just supposed to be, but the four area teams that earned postseason berths this season are the same ones that made it last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. You have to go back to 1995 to find the last time that these four -- Crescenta Valley, St. Francis, La Canada and Flintridge Prep -- didn't all represent the area in the CIF Southern Section playoffs. The Falcons have made it every year since 1992, the Golden Knights have gotten the honor since 1993, La Canada since 1996, and the Rebels haven't missed a postseason since 1989, when they were an eight-man squad.

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan Anne Konrad said her team is nervous, and three of her players agreed. The Flintridge Prep softball team might have said it is tense entering today's 10 a.m. CIF Southern Section Division V championship game against Pomona Catholic, but the Rebels sure didn't look nervous a day before the game. They were too busy tackling each other, cracking jokes and watching a game of Ultimate Frisbee on the football field. In between tackles and jokes, the Rebels (15-4)

GLENDALE — After struggling throughout parts of the regular season, the members of the Flintridge Prep girls’ basketball team seem to have finally found their identity. The Rebels entered the season having claimed seven consecutive Prep League championships, but fell on some hard times to take third in league this season. Led by Megan Musashi, Alina Khodadian and Deanna Watson, times have changed for the Rebels. Resurgent Flintridge Prep will look to extend its season a bit further when it meets top-seeded Santa Maria St. Joseph in a CIF Southern Section Division V-AA quarterfinal road game at 7:30 p.m. today.

GLENDALE — As far as offensive statistics go, Tuesday’s CIF Southern Section Division V second-round match against Thousand Oaks Hillcrest Christian won’t do much for the Flintridge Prep boys’ volleyball team’s playoff averages, but it did the primary job of advancing the Rebels to the quarterfinals. Prep strategically sacrificed its normal offense in order to put up a defensive front concentrated on the main weapon of a fairly one-dimensional Saints team.

The Flintridge Prep boys? volleyball team?s record-breaking season came to an abrupt end on Wednesday evening, as the top-seeded St. Margaret?s Episcopal School defeated the Rebels in straight sets, 25-15, 25-13, 25-23, at St. Margaret?s in the semifinal match of the CIF Southern Section Division V playoffs. ?We made a lot of errors ? errors that we hadn?t made throughout the playoffs,? Rebels Head Coach Sean Beattie told the Valley Sun immediately after the loss. ?I think their size kind of intimidated us a little bit. I think we tried to change what we do, which is something I told them not to do.?

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — While it may seem hard to pinpoint a downside to pulling off a 27-point victory to open the postseason, Renaissance Academy boys’ basketball Coach Sid Cooke knows full well that, at this point in the campaign, bringing anything less than your best can easily lead to disappointment. Thus, while more-or-less satisfied with the end result of his top-seeded Wildcats’ 63-36 CIF Southern Section Division V-A first-round win over visiting Arrowhead Christian Academy on Wednesday, the veteran coach was concerned by a lackluster beginning that saw the unseeded, at-large Eagles survive the first quarter with a one-point lead and a measure of confidence.

GLENDALE — The following are CIF playoff previews pertaining to area high school teams. San Gorgonio at Crescenta Valley, 7 p.m.: After finishing tied for second in the Pacific League, 12th-seeded Crescenta Valley (19-7) will look to take advantage of having home-court advantage against San Gorgonio (9-17) in a Division I-A first-round contest. The Falcons won their final two league games of the season to finish tied with Burbank. Unseeded San Gorgonio placed third in the San Andreas League after winning three of its last five league contests.

The Flintridge Prep boys? volleyball team?s record-breaking season came to an abrupt end on Wednesday evening, as the top-seeded St. Margaret?s Episcopal School defeated the Rebels in straight sets, 25-15, 25-13, 25-23, at St. Margaret?s in the semifinal match of the CIF Southern Section Division V playoffs. ?We made a lot of errors ? errors that we hadn?t made throughout the playoffs,? Rebels Head Coach Sean Beattie told the Valley Sun immediately after the loss. ?I think their size kind of intimidated us a little bit. I think we tried to change what we do, which is something I told them not to do.?

If only the Rebels can play like this all the way through the playoffs. After two rounds of CIF Southern Section Division V playoff volleyball, the Flintridge Prep Rebels return home relatively unscathed after sweeping past its first two opponents en route to a berth in the quarterfinals. The Rebels (19-5) advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Thousand Oaks? Hillcrest Christian (14-6) in straight sets, 25-16, 25-21, 25-13, in Tuesday?s CIF Southern Section Division V second-round playoff match in Ventura County.

GLENDALE — No upsets involving the top four seeds in the CIF Southern Section Division V boys’ volleyball playoffs have occurred. With eight teams from the 32-team bracket still alive, it’s possible that an upset or two might be around the corner. Fourth-seeded Flintridge Prep would like to avoid being on that list. Flintridge Prep might have its hands full when it battles Arrowhead Christian Academy in a quarterfinal home match at 7 p.m. today. Going deeper in the playoffs means facing tougher competition.

GLENDALE — As far as offensive statistics go, Tuesday’s CIF Southern Section Division V second-round match against Thousand Oaks Hillcrest Christian won’t do much for the Flintridge Prep boys’ volleyball team’s playoff averages, but it did the primary job of advancing the Rebels to the quarterfinals. Prep strategically sacrificed its normal offense in order to put up a defensive front concentrated on the main weapon of a fairly one-dimensional Saints team.

GLENDALE — After struggling throughout parts of the regular season, the members of the Flintridge Prep girls’ basketball team seem to have finally found their identity. The Rebels entered the season having claimed seven consecutive Prep League championships, but fell on some hard times to take third in league this season. Led by Megan Musashi, Alina Khodadian and Deanna Watson, times have changed for the Rebels. Resurgent Flintridge Prep will look to extend its season a bit further when it meets top-seeded Santa Maria St. Joseph in a CIF Southern Section Division V-AA quarterfinal road game at 7:30 p.m. today.

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — With a No. 3 preseason ranking in CIF Southern Section Division V to live up to, the last thing the Flintridge Prep boys’ volleyball team needed was to open the season with a losing streak. In that sense, it’s arguable that the Rebels, swept in their Wednesday opener by Arrowhead Christian, were the team more in need of a statement win in Thursday night’s nonleague match at St. Francis. Just don’t try telling that to the Golden Knights.